The Book of Lost Things

The bestselling author of The Black Angel offers a creative coming-of-age story about one boys journey into adulthood, combining dramatic themes with edge-of-your-seat suspense and a fantastical imagination.

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I really enjoyed this book very much. It is about a boy named David who recently lost his mother and is dealing with grief, fear, selfishness, etc. He finds it difficult when they have to move out of their home because his father remarries a woman who is pregnant with their baby. David accidentally ends up in this different world where fairy tales come to life, but there are some dark twists. David encounters different individuals along his quest to find his way back home and those individuals teach him some life lessons. While it might be obvious at times of what might happen, I still thought it was a wonderful story to read. This is a good book on life and how things are never "happily ever after".

This book means so, so much to me. Sure, it's got it's flaws (the pacing is a little wonky, the writing style isn't for everyone) but it is one of three books to ever make me cry. A dark yet beautiful twist on the fairy-tale genre.

Great story that is really honest in its views of grief and fear and selfishness. Though it follows the adventures of a young boy during WWII it weaves together themes that are applicable to modern people no matter their age. The story will catch and hold you with its interesting nods to common themes of fairy tale style literature and also gruesome riffs on those themes. Highly recommended to adult fans of fairy tales.

This book is brilliant. It is a book about loss, and childhood. And loss of childhood. I thought this book was well written and can not imagine this story told any differently. This is definitely a great book for anyone who like fairy tales. Is this book good for children? I struggled with this question as I read this book because I have a young teen who loves fantasy type books. There is some descriptive bloody violence in this book. It takes a page from the Brothers Grimm in that some characters stories come to a violent unhappy ending. More than the violence, what make me question if this is a book for children is that it is a book about loss such that I think someone with more life experience would get more out of the book. An older child could certainly enjoy this book, but I do think the themes in this book are more meaningful to an adult.

I picked this up because I enjoy the Charlie Parker series so much. This is as beautifully written but totally different. It is a fairy tale with many of the hallmarks of the genre. But Connolly makes it his own and the message is piercing. Loss of innocence, gaining of wisdom, selfishness giving away to self-sacrifice. It is a book written for adults disguised as a children's book.

I really enjoyed this book. It was dark and creepy and I really enjoyed the fairy tale retelling. My only complaint is how linear the storytelling is and how obvious most things were from pretty early on. But I still really enjoyed it and am on to read "The Gates" now.

This is honestly one of my favorite books in the entire world. It is difficult to describe because it tells a coming of age story on many levels. On the surface, The Book of Lost Things could be described as weaving alternate versions of fairy tales together, but this is no children's book. It is a dark, heartbreaking look at growing up written in some of the most beautiful prose I've experienced as a reader. I couldn't recommend this book more.

A heartbreaking story that interweaves a child's dealing with loss and change with the magical world of fairy tales.

David escapes to a land of twisted fairy tales, but finds that the comfort he thought would be there is false. Ultimately he decides that returning home is important and while he still longs for the world of fantasy he has also developed a compassion for those he left behind.

While the story involves a child the story is really told for adults to read. It is written as a memory of an adult. At times I felt it a bit longish in tooth but the finale made up for it. I read a copy where the end of the book had a brief interview and review of all the fairy tale sources .... all the sources except a couple stories that the entire situation seems to be built around- The Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland. The escape and return to home a changed person, one who sees things that makes them grow up a bit faster than usual due to the situation's brutal nature.

Wonderful story.

PaulaHoney
Aug 28, 2013

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Connolly is a genius! For those who have a background in the study of children's literature or folk and fairy tales, you will be pleased.
It is very Gaiman, very Grimm, and very very good.
Children and adults will enjoy. However, there are a lot of frightening scenes.